Trial of the Times

Chapter 47 - Duel of the Fates

"Let's go join the others," he urges, turning towards Obi-Wan and Dooku who are approaching, "We need to find Sidious."

**b**

As they move deeper into the Temple, Anakin feels shivers run down his spine at the raw darkness pervading their surroundings. Even the embrace of the Dark Side doesn't protect him from the eeriness of it all. He has no idea how Sidious – or anyone – could stand to be here for an extended period of time without going out of their mind.

"He's in there somewhere," Dooku's voice is low, but certain. Maybe Anakin isn't the only one who is getting strange sensations.

"Ready?" Obi-Wan asks rhetorically.

Anakin adjusts his grip on his unignited lightsaber. "Do we have a choice?"

"Let's go," urges Ahsoka, "We need to end this."

Anakin pushes open the door, and the resounding clang echoes down the hallway, becoming distorted as time goes on. "I see you have finally made your way up here," Sidious calls, turning from the window overlooking the courtyard. A pleased yet cruel smirk twists up his lips. "You have lost," he declares with a chilling sense of finality.

"We still outnumber you, Sidious," Anakin spits, lightsaber hissing to life in preparation for the impending duel.

"It seems that you do," the Sith Lord replies, completely unruffled.

"Surrender now, and we will spare your life," Obi-Wan offers.

Anakin gives him an odd look. "We don't have any Force restraints with us," he reminds him.

"I know, but it's a moot point, because he'll never surrender," Obi-Wan replies dismissively. Anakin snorts. On that, he's definitely right.

"I don't think so," murmurs Sidious, the Dark Side gathering around him. A red blade hisses to life in each hand, and he raises them. "One last chance to surrender," he warns.

"I'll pass," Ahsoka spits out. Anakin glances at her briefly, noticing a faint tinge of yellow in her eyes again. He'd last seen it in their duel against Maul; he's not even sure if she realized.

Sidious lunges towards them, striking towards Dooku and Obi-Wan who block him just in time. They hold him off as Anakin and Ahsoka join the duel, seeking to find a weakness. A slow rage begins building when Anakin realizes that he's mainly going after Obi-Wan and Ahsoka. He intends to kill them, and he cannot let that happen. They're his family. He has to protect them. He just can't sacrifice his soul to do it.

Anakin attacks Sidious even more fiercely, using a combination of both his lightsaber and the Force. The Sith seems unfazed, darting between and around them, his blade grazing Anakin's arm. He ignores the pain and keeps fighting, drawing on the Dark Side more strongly than ever before. He can feel it burning at him, as he throws Sidious across the room. Obi-Wan lunges, aiming his lightsaber for a killing blow, but Sidious pushes him backwards and starts Force choking him as he stands up.

Despite everything that's ever happened between them, that's Obi-Wan. Anakin's father figure, former master, best friend, brother. He will never allow anyone to kill him. A snarl of rage escapes him as he raises his left hand, a bolt of lightning arching towards the Sith. Sidious throws Obi-Wan at Anakin – right in the path of the lightning, rolling out of the way and coming back to his feet in time to crash blades with Dooku.

Anakin can only stare – frozen with horror – at Obi-Wan as he lays on the floor, trying to recover after getting electrocuted. And it's Anakin's fault, because he did something stupid. He wasn't even thinking clearly. Even the sound of clashing lightsabers behind him doesn't snap him out of his trance. Obi-Wan finally catches his gaze, giving him a tired, but affectionate, half-smile. "Stop staring at me," he chides through their bond, "I'm fine. It's not your fault that Sidious is a sadistic monster."

They charge in unison, lightsabers blazing as they try to push through Sidious' defenses. The Sith Lord seems to realize that he's losing, throwing a blast of the Force outwards, and sending everyone skidding to the floor. Without wasting a second, he lets lightning strike them. Anakin gasps as pain courses through his body. If one of them doesn't do something, they'll all die an inglorious death. He doesn't mind sacrificing himself, but a cold, hard rage boils inside him at the thought of Obi-Wan or Ahsoka falling to Sidious' hands.

Anakin struggles to push past the pain searing through him, gathering in the Dark Side and Force pushing Sidious as hard as he can. It certainly wasn't his best attack – the Sith deflected much of it – but it was enough to knock him off balance. Anakin calls his lightsaber, igniting it mid-air as he throws it at Sidious's body, striking him in the arm before he has a chance to deflect it. Struggling to his feet, he charges, stabbing the blade through Sidious's chest and blocking the final attack of lightning, deflecting it back at him.

Behind him, he can hear the others standing up and moving to defend themselves if Sidious manages to survive. "I... still... win," Sidious rasps out, a demented grin on his face as his body goes slack, the life draining out of it.